Author's Note: Even though not many people read this, I'm just glad I'm making a few people happy with it.
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Reimu kept peeking over at Yukari's watchful gaze. It seems the Youkai's smug watch never looked away from Reimu's vulnerable, bullied state.
"She's enjoying this so much, isn't she...?" Reimu thought to herself, feeling defeated and weak.
And if Yukari could read minds, she'd happily agree with Reimu's assumption.
Tired of just sitting at a table and being stared at, Reimu slowly stood up.
"I'm going to...sit outside. I need some of the morning air..." Reimu stated, looking for just any excuse to get out of the awkward situation she found herself in. Yukari tilted her head to the right, her eyes not breaking from following Reimu even for a moment.
"Of course. Feel free to." Her voice was light, fluttery and free, as if she was playing along. That didn't really help Reimu's conviction about this decision.
Reimu took her plate in her hands and quickly shuffled out to the porch, moving to the side of the porch as to avoid direct line-of-sight with Yukari. In hindsight that would do nothing considering the power of gaps Yukari had, but Reimu did it for peace of mind.
Alone with her thoughts in the quiet peace of nature, Reimu slowly stirred her food, unable to really eat and just poking at it nervously. Reimu just keeps failing to understand her feelings towards the situation. It's awkward and gives her anxiety yes, but she feels as if that's not entirely what's there. There has to be a few missing pieces at the least. Did she enjoy it? Was she glad to have Yukari around? Was she even enjoying the small teasing?
"...Why can't she just be honest? She's playing with me for some reason..." Reimu whispered to herself, unaware that Yukari is listening keenly with great curiosity.
"Why would she kiss me...was it due to desire or because she just felt like doing such a random act? Usually such sacred actions are kept for someone you care much for, but that's just my own way of seeing it. Yukari's a wild card, she just does as she pleases. I can't read her face nor what she's thinking. And that's exactly what she wants..." Reimu stated quietly, hoping Yukari doesn't hear.
And what Yukari does completely hear makes her think as well.
"Oh my, she is quite hung up about this, isn't she? I suppose I too should wonder how I feel. What does this little shrine maiden mean to me..." Yukari thought, purely in her head. "Reimu is a very strong opponent, able to give me a great and satisfying fight that no one can mimic. I respect her as an opponent. But...on the other hand, she's soft, gentle, and kind. A bit tsundere, closed off and cold, but that might be due to the treatment she's gotten while growing up."
Yukari held her chin and smiled. A bit more thinking, and her smile faded.
"...Treatment she's gotten while growing up..." Yukari repeated in her head.
Something clicked inside Yukari's mind. This poor girl has been alone for so long! How long has she gone without a proper friend, nor companionship, love, or any of that human-contact stuff?
"What a loner." Yukari stated to herself in a bit of a frown. It's rather disappointing that someone as cute as this goes without friends. Being a servant to Hakurei must've been so boring without a good fight or friend for so long.
Yukari rubbed her chin in thought.
"I feel like I should help, sorta. I...feel bad? It's new to me to pity someone in an honest fashion..." Yukari's new experience of pity may come from how she's been bonding to Reimu for a while, seeing her as just an opponent and more recently having her open up, seeing the more gentle and sweet side of Reimu as well as the pitiful life she lives.
Was Yukari's own heart growing enough to fit Reimu in there?
"Hmm, this could be fun...I can think of a few ways to tease her just enough to get her feeling better. She seems like she's always in this constant mood of depression, unable to smile and such. We need to see that smile just a bit more..." This was Yukari's first little self-vow. Her motivation is slowly changing from 'having a happier opponent' to 'just wanting to see Reimu in a better place'. Seems Youkai aren't completely heartless like some humans in Gensokyo might think.
While Yukari contemplated ways to cheer up Reimu, Reimu was lost in her head, being as sad as usual and thinking negative things that made her just a tad bit sadder. That train of negative thought suddenly broke when Yukari sad down next to Reimu. Reimu jumped a bit and set her bowl off to the side, then looked down at her lap.
"You've been out here a while, Ray-moo. Something wrong?" Yukari asked while leaning a bit close to Reimu. The shrine maiden could almost feel Yukari's breathing.
"It's just...nothing..." She was going to say something, but would rather keep closed off.
Yukari internally sighed. She was beginning to see that Reimu can turn cold and unresponsive at times.
"Was I wrong to wake you up like that? You've been on edge ever since waking up." Perhaps that was the start? It was either that event, or just her relapsing into her negativity from the past.
"Oh no, I'm being confronted..." Reimu said, internally panicking. Talking about her own feelings is really difficult, since she was always taught to focus sole on the upkeep of the shrine. Not to bother with how she felt. Due to this treatment, she failed to ever learn how to properly handle her feelings.
"It's...It wasn't bad, you just startled me." Reimu stated, lying unintentionally as she did not truly understand if she felt good about it or not.
Yukari blinked, an expression of confusion on her face.
"Hmm. Is my presence upsetting you?" Yukari asked, testing this for a reaction as well.
Reimu shook her head slowly. "I enjoy having company..." The girl quietly said, her voice a bit weak.
The responses she was getting were cold and empty. It wasn't satisfying. So, like most times, Yukari acted on impulse. She wrapped her arm around Reimu's back and pulled her close, holding her gently and keeping Reimu pressed against Yukari's body.
"Relax. You're too tense. I came over to make you happy, not scare you." Yukari said gently, holding Reimu close like a mother would calm a child.
Reimu was internally freaking out, however. Being suddenly touched had her freeze up, not knowing what was going on. When told to relax and her intentions, Reimu did relax a tiny bit. However, she was still unsure what exactly was going on.
"...She's hugging me? Why? Is this how she is trying to calm me down...?" Reimu didn't have the bravery to admit to herself that it was working. The warm, soft body pressed against her, holding her in a protective grasp.
She felt so safe.
Reimu's arms were by her own waist, but she slowly just melted into this soft grasp. Her body turned and her arms wrapped around Yukari's back, hugging her in return. Reimu also shut her eyes and leaned her head on Yukari as well. This was the first time in a while she ever let her guard down this much, but she couldn't help it. Her body had been screaming at her to hug back, to enjoy the softness.
To be happy.
Being so enveloped made Reimu happy, but was also overloading her emotions. Slowly, tears began to form in her eyes. From a mix of being so happy, and her body being so sad from how long it's taken her to actually receive love like this took its toll, and she couldn't hide it anymore.
Sniffling and crying into Yukari's dress, she pressed herself a bit deeper, trying to hard herself in the clothes of Yukari. Yukari herself didn't mind.
"You're finally being honest." Yukari thought to herself, smiling gently. "All this time, you've just been a neglected little child. That's perfectly fine. You bear a heavy burden, after-all." She thought as well, hugging Reimu closely, keeping her comfortable and safe.
Their first real emotional bond.
The realization of trust between Yukari and Reimu was set in both of their heads. Reimu's willingness to cry and Yukari's willingness to hug and comfort etched itself into both of their heads. It seems they both had begun to care for each other.
The morning was spent in a gentle hug. Both of them acting the most honest and straight-forward they could be. For the moment, at-least.
Their feelings are developing and blossoming slowly.
How beautiful will this flower become?
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A bit of a short one, but important in the narrative.